The Spread Offensive: Closing in on the CFP

When the dust settled Saturday night following Stanford's last-second field goal against Notre Dame and Oklahoma's dismantling of Oklahoma State, the College Football Playoff became relatively clear.

The Sooners are in. The winner of Michigan State vs. Iowa is in. And if Clemson and Alabama hold serve in their respective championship games, the field of four will be set.

Of course, if Clemson loses to UNC, or Alabama somehow loses to Florida, then the debate ensues once again. Ohio State lurks in the shadows, with just the one loss to Michigan State. And North Carolina would be an intriguing option. The Heels would have rattled off 12-straight victories after a loss in the season opener to lowly South Carolina. An argument can certainly be made that both teams then look nothing like they do now. Those on the outside looking in (Stanford also comes to mind) are hoping that chaos reigns supreme.

Three championship games to rule the realm. Let's dive into each game with some tidbits and nuggets to get you primed and prepped for championship weekend. Also, there will be jokes.

Florida vs. Alabama - David vs. Goliath

Alternative Title: What is Florida Doing Here?

The Gators have had an extremely favorable schedule this season, claiming the SEC East title despite an abysmal offense. Of course, the Gators looked like a legitimate contender on both sides of the ball before starting quarterback Will Grier was suspended. Grier was suspended for a full year after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance found in a supplement. Since that time, Treon Harris has taken over under center, and the Gators have been able to skirt by the competition. Harris has just one 200-yard game in his last five contest and has completed just 50 percent of his passes over that span. Perhaps most curiously, the dual-threat quarterback has not rushed for a single touchdown in 2015. Whether that is due to the new system put in by coach Jim McElwain or simply a reluctance by Harris to use his wheels remains to be seen. The downward trend came to a head Saturday, when the Gators were held without any offensive points in a 27-2 loss to in-state rival Florida State.

Meanwhile, Alabama has been dominant since an early-season loss to Ole Miss, winning by an average of nearly 23 points per contest over the current nine-game winning streak. Coach Nick Saban has found yet another in a string of quarterbacks asked simply not to lose the game for Alabama. Jake Coker has shown flashes of superior talent, but the Tide still rely largely on a combination of defense and running the football to suffocate the opposition.

Player to Watch: Alabama's Derrick Henry

In reality, this SEC Championship Game could be billed as the Alabama offensive line against the Florida defensive line. Alabama's offensive line is superb, par for the course for a Nick Saban squad. The Gators have been stout against the run this season, allowing 111.3 rushing yards per game, which is seventh in the country. However, the Gators were torched for 180 rushing yards by LSU's Leonard Fournette, who will likely lose out to Henry in the Heisman race. Henry already broke the Alabama single-season rushing record formerly held by Mark Ingram, who won the Heisman the year he set his record. Nobody has been able to stop Henry in 2015, but the Gators really have no shot if Henry runs amok. Henry has four 200-yard rushing games this season, tying him with Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker for the SEC single-season record.

Knowledge is Good: Florida's Kelvin Taylor has been the lone bright spot for the Gator offense, ending the regular season with three straight 100-yard rushing games. Alabama has the No. 1 rushing defense in the country, allowing just 78.3 yards per tilt on the ground.

Prediction: Tim Tebow is not walking through that door. Alabama is a 17-point favorite, and that may not be enough considering how awful Florida's offense has looked in recent weeks. Can Treon Harris play the game of his life at quarterback? That's what it would take for the Gators to pull the monumental upset, along with a touchdown or two on special teams from game-breaker Antonio Callaway. It's just too big of a hill to climb. The Tide will roll, 41-7.

Clemson vs. North Carolina - Deshaun Watson, I Presume?

Alternative Title: Carolina On My Mind

The Palmetto State and the Tar Heel State do battle in this border war for all of the ACC's marbles. The site of the ACC Championship Game is Charlotte, North Carolina; will the crowd be decidedly pro-Tar Heel? It's not exactly a hike from Clemson either, though. The fan base of the No. 1 team in the land will certainly travel well for this contest, meaning any "home-field" advantage for the Heels should be negligible. In fact, the site of the championship is practically equidistant from the two schools.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson is a contender for the Heisman trophy, and we know at the very least Cam Newton will be voting for him. No word yet on whether he will be dabbing. Watson has accounted for 36 touchdowns for the undefeated Tigers. He's notched at least 275 yards passing in each of the last five games, even throwing for 420 yards against Boston College, a top-10 ranked defense in almost every category.

Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are surging, boasting an impressive 11-game winning streak led by a balanced offensive attack. Elijah Hood, UNC's star running back, has somewhat quietly had a 1,280-yard, 16-touchdown season. He rushed for 220 yards and two scores alone at NC State in the last game.

Player to Watch: North Carolina's Marquise Williams

Watson gets the pub, but Williams has been nearly as competent for the Tar Heels at quarterback. Williams has 28 total touchdowns, more than 2,500 yards passing and over 750 yards rushing. Perhaps most impressively, he has upped his completion percentage to nearly 65 percent, showing improved decision-making and accuracy with the football. Both of these quarterbacks possess dual-threat ability, meaning that this game could come down to which of the two can simply make more plays.

Knowledge is Good: North Carolina has not won the ACC outright since 1980. The ACC Player of the Year that season was a UNC linebacker by the name of Lawrence Taylor. Yes, the original L.T.

Prediction: Make no mistake about it; North Carolina can win this game. This should be the best game of the three meaningful contests. UNC is surging, but Clemson is a more complete team. The Clemson defense does not get enough credit. Defensive end Shaq Lawson leads all of college football in tackles for loss with 20.5. In addition, the Tiger defense is allowing just 160.8 passing yards per game, fourth-best in the nation. In the end, Watson outduels Williams, and the ACC goes to the Tigers. Clemson 38, North Carolina 35.

Michigan State vs. Iowa - The Final Countdown

Alternative Title: Do Hawkeyes Really Exist?

Finally, at long last, we will get an answer. No, I still can't figure out what a Hawkeye is, even after Googling it. The burning question that will be answered is whether Iowa is a legitimate title contender. Michigan State has already beaten Michigan and Ohio State this season. The Spartans were a blown call against Nebraska from being undefeated, just like the Hawkeyes. Iowa has not had the same strength of schedule, at least at first blush, but the Hawkeyes have gone out each and every week and beaten the opposition.

Warning: This game will not have an alibi. It will be ugly. If you're looking for a high-flying, aerial assault with quarterbacks lighting up the scoreboard, this contest is not for you. It will be a defensive struggle, with the running games featured prominently. MSU quarterback Connor Cook is still working his way back to form from a shoulder injury. Iowa quarterback CJ Beathard has not had a 300-yard passing game all season.

Player to Watch: Iowa's Jordan Canzeri

You might have figured this out already, but the Hawkeyes aren't flashy. There are no style points necessary, just as coach Kirk Ferentz stated in his press conference following Iowa's victory over Nebraska. Canzeri is the bell cow for the Iowa offense, though he struggled with injury in the middle of the season. After rattling off 100-yard outbursts in four of the first six games, he suffered a sprained ankle and essentially missed three subsequent contests. After working his way back to health, he finally looked like the Canzeri of old against Nebraska, rushing for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the 28-20 triumph. Michigan State has one of the top defensive fronts in all of college football, so this will be an extremely stiff test for Canzeri and company. The outcome of the game could hinge upon Iowa's ability to effectively run the football, as that is the foundation of its offensive scheme.

Knowledge is Good: Wisconsin is the only team currently in the top 25 that Iowa has beaten. Michigan State has beaten three teams in the current edition of the top 25. Iowa is one of 34 FBS teams averaging at least 200 yards rushing per game. Michigan State is allowing less than 120 rushing yards per contest, ranking 16th in the nation.

Prediction: Iowa has had a superb year, and going undefeated in the regular season is a tremendous accomplishment. Still, a quirk in the schedule meant that Iowa did not have to face Michigan, Michigan State or Ohio State in the regular season. By contrast, those three squads played each other in a type of round robin near the end of the season. I'm buying the fact that the Hawkeyes have not had to play an elite opponent this season. It will be a low-scoring, hotly-contested affair, but the Spartans are battle-tested and will pull out the victory, 21-17.